The Blackfoot Confederacy: Clans/Dominion/Nations/Tribes

Siksika (N. Blackfoot Alberta), Kainai (Mid. Blackfoot Alberta), Piikani/Piikuni (N. Peigan Alberta ) and Amsskaapipiikuni (S. Peigan/Blackfeet Montana), traditionally the Piikuni were one tribe, but because of the US/Canada border and the treaties, the tribe was cut in half to preserve more of our territory. All groups have a common language and culture, with minor dialect, visual and societal differences.
Intermarriage was common as there were enough people and clans that we could safely do that without being too close genetically. Often, we would intermarry with tribes outside of the Confederacy for peace, common cultural practices, and agreements. We also fought fiercely for our common territory against common foe.
The Blackfoot have more than one name for ourselves; Ni-tsi-ta-pi or Nitsitapiksi “Real People”, Sao-kitapiiksi is our name for people living on the Plains, Nitsi-poi-yiksi are speakers of the “Real Language”, Siksikaitsitapi. A warrior culture that supported tall and broad humans. There wasn’t a formal leader or governing group of the entirety of the nations traditionally but were each supportive of the other group. So, when the settlers and government came, they thought we were one giant governing group and so the Confederacy stemmed from that thought. We didn’t fully become the confederacy until death, disease and loss of traditional territory made sure that we all now work together for a common interest politically.
I will briefly talk about the Traditional territory for the broader context of the Blackfoot people but the exploration into specifics of land, location, rivers and landmarks is in section 2.
The Traditional and ancestral territory is from Ponokasisahta (Elk River/N.Saskatchewan River), south to Otahkoi-tah-tayi (The Yellowstone river). Mountains West of Edmonton to Prince Albert Sask. then South to pre-Miles City, Montana. The Eastern border was the N. Sask river at the Rocky Mountains and south to pre-Bozeman, Montana. Everything under that was common land of the territory called Nitawahsi. For context, that is a comparable size to Germany, France or Spain. The territory boundaries would fluctuate from larger to slightly smaller over the history of the Blackfoot people, but this was the territory as of the first European Settlers showed up in the 1700’s.
Clans and families patrolled and lived along the borders and through the territory as camp groups, naming and finding natural monuments for spiritual, cultural, resource gathering and to receive guidance from The Creator and other spiritual beings. We were there for thousands of years so knew the terrain completely, every landmark and river. The clans were led by many leaders with different areas of cultural expertise, ie. The best hunter would not be consulted in the best lodge building matters. Every decision for the community and the starting of cultural transfers were overseen by a Matriarchal final say. We travelled constantly throughout the territory, our trails were well marked upon the land, and many of our current highways, city/rural roads and settlements have been made by these original camp sites, trade and migratory routes.
We always pitched our lodges with the doors facing the east to greet the rising sun- Natosi. We would send prayers and smudges with the rising of a new day. Lodges weren’t placed in any particular order when in everyday camps, but close relations often camped near each other.
The families were complex, all clan members were considered related and therefore all forbidden to marry within the clan. All your relations, unless they were married off or went to live in a different clan, stayed and camped together. Newborns were cared for by all the women in the camp. Often, grandparents adopted grand children. Babies were named after a few months of their lives to get to know the child and the chances of them living to adulthood were higher. Aunts and Uncles disciplined the children when they misbehaved.
Gender roles existed but were not defined in the same way western societies are. Men generally were hunters, tool makers and warrior/protectors, being away from camp for long periods of time. Women ran the camp and took care of our sacred bundles, who were treated with the utmost respect and care like a delicate living being. Most of the food prep was also a main task of women, making moki-maani (pemmican); also, tanning hides, sewing clothes, tipis and many other important tasks. Women were also healers and used herbs and medicine to take care of the whole camp. Two-spirit or queer community members fit in where their talents and skills called for it, often taking up the tasks of tanning and guarding camp as well.
It was a need for everyone to do their part and have a place; learning many roles, efficiency, alertness and knowing the resources in their territory adapting and remembering everything the land had, which influenced the types of materials, crafts and skills that were made and what their specific parts, uses, sciences; botany, geography, cartography, art, biology, anatomy… These skills and teachings were essential to daily life.